The federally-funded McNair Scholars Program was established by the U.S. Department of Education in 1986 and instituted at CSUF in 1999. Named for the late astronaut, Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African-American to fly in space, the program provides low-income and first-generation college students opportunities to prepare for advanced degrees.

“This program is opening the gates to new opportunities for me,” said Porron, who is the first in her family to attend college. She plans to pursue graduate studies after earning her bachelor’s degree next year.

The aim of the program is to prepare McNair Scholars for admission and success in graduate school by exposing them to graduate programs and researchers nationwide and having them actively participate in undergraduate research projects, said Gerald Bryant, the program’s director.

In August, he said, the newest McNair Scholars will be visiting five universities that grant doctoral degrees on the East Coast.

As part of the program, McNair Scholars take part in special seminars and are paired with professors who mentor and conduct research them. The professors and students then present their findings at conferences throughout the world and publish research articles in academic journals, boosting their chances of getting accepted into graduate programs.